Smirk and Grin
by Cheeseburger of Doom
Summary: Either you're completely stubborn and evil, or you really like me and you're trying to keep me around. (Inuix?)


A/N: Just to clarify -- in the starred sections, regular text is Inui, and italics is my favorite sleazeball, Mizuki Hajime. Hopefully they're not too OOC. I think this is weird, but kind of amusing, in its own way. I make fun of Mizuki all the time so I thought I would be nice for once and put him in a serious fic. I also so a rather pleasant fanart of these two together, so I thought, why not give it a try?

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Smirk and Grin

**When we first met, I strongly disliked you.

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I wasn't very fond of you, either.

We exchanged a few sly remarks, stared at each other for a while, and measured each other up. I thought you were...sleazy.

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I thought you were amusing.

You were smirking. You reminded me of a weasel.

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Well...thank you for that.

Not your looks -- the way you were smirking. I could tell you had a hidden agenda just by looking at you.

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I'm not the only one with a hidden agenda, Inui-kun...

You're smirking again.

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I know.

When we first met, I thought you were playing dirty...

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I always play dirty.

You were collecting data on players' weaknesses, versus their skills...You were using their weaknesses against them.

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It works very well.

I didn't like it. I still don't like it. Data shouldn't be used like that....

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So you keep saying...

Are you listening to me?

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Not really. We've been through all of this before...it's boring. Let's talk about me instead. I am a much better topic of conversation.

Why did I agree to come here again?

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For a chat between geniuses...and because you think I'm attractive, naturally...

Oh?

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Let's have a date, Inui-kun.

A date?

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The two smartest together. What a winning combination.

Hm...

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I knew you'd agree...let's go.**

Inui wasn't exactly sure why Mizuki had asked him out. It had taken even the data boy by surprise to hear that suggestion from the manager of St. Rudolph's tennis team. He didn't know how Mizuki had gotten his hands on his cell phone number, either.

He didn't even know why he was going. He just was. He supposed it was because his endless search for knowledge fed his curiosity, and he would agree to anything, even a date with Mizuki.

"Oh, so you came, Inui-kun...for our date," Mizuki said, with his usual smirk. He was twirling his hair. He'd done that the entire time he'd sat on the bench during the matches against St. Rudolph. Inui had noticed him doing it. It seemed to be his bad habit, besides being sly and manipulative and etc.

"Where would you like to go?" Mizuki asked.

"You asked me out, so you choose," Inui replied.

"Okay, but you have to put that notebook away."

Inui looked at the notebook he was holding under his arm. He hadn't even realized he was carrying it. He had fully intended to leave it at home...It was his bad habit. He tucked it away, and regarded Mizuki with his usual calm expression.

"Lead the way."

Mizuki took him to a restaurant. A very fancy restaurant, that seemed very suited to Mizuki. Inui looked out of place there, since he wasn't dressed for it, but he was perfectly comfortable with the atmosphere. He as curious as to what Mizuki was going to do next. His hand itched, and he wanted to pull out his pen and notebook, but he left them where they were, and regarded his menu with interest.

"Why did you call me?" Inui asked, as he read through the items, trying to find interesting ingredient ideas for his next edition of Inui Juice. Oh, how he wished he could write some of these things down...

"To ask you for a date," Mizuki replied. He took a sip of his water, and somehow, the smirk never left his face. "I want to compare data."

"You told me to put the notebook away."

"Well...if you can't remember what's in it, then you can take it out again," Mizuki said. "Let's trade data on the tennis teams."

Inui's expression never changed. Mizuki's smirk never wavered.

"I think both our teams would benefit," he continued. "Don't you?"

"There's an eighty percent chance of both teams improving their games against other teams," Inui said. "But I don't like your methods of using the data, so there is not a very strong percentage chance that I'm going to trade with you."

A tiny bit of anger flashed in Mizuki's eyes, but his smirk remained, and he continued to twirl his hair. "Oh? I asked you on this date, Inui-kun. The least you could do is be nice to me."

The waiter interrupted them to take their order. Mizuki ordered something expensive with a fancy name, and Inui ordered something very, very strange. The waiter took away their menus, and there was nothing left for Inui to look at besides Mizuki.

Mizuki was rather attractive. The only problem was that Mizuki knew it, and knew that other people knew it -- and he liked it. He was the type who liked to use people, and then discard them when he was finished with them. He was a man of convenience, really.

He was also very intelligent, and he was good at analyzing people and their weaknesses. In other words...he wasn't just a pretty face.

"If you don't want to trade data about tennis, then let's talk about something else," Mizuki suggested.

They had a rather interesting chat that evening, topics ranging from politics to the rainforests. Interesting statistics came up, and they got into a couple of disagreements regarding a few different things. Inui found it rather refreshing to talk to someone who liked to know things as much as he did. Even if that person was wearing a smirk and constantly twirling his hair.

**On our first date, I still didn't like you very much.

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Well, I didn't like you much either, Inui-kun...

You wouldn't leave me alone after it...

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You wouldn't give me what I wanted.

Of course not.

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You play just as dirty as I do.

Maybe..._**_

Mizuki called Inui a few more times, and kept pestering him about trading data. Inui kept on refusing. He had no desire to trade that kind of information with Mizuki. Mizuki kept at it, though, like a headache that refuses to go away.

Inui found that he didn't mind the constant nagging, though. In fact, he rather enjoyed it. Mizuki was an amusing sort of person, especially when he became frustrated with Inui for constantly refusing him.

He never asked for another date, though. He just kept calling. Finally, Inui decided he would ask Mizuki for a date, instead. Mizuki sounded surprised at the offer, but he accepted. He probably thought Inui was going to cave in and give him what he wanted, but Inui had a little surprise for him. He just wanted another date with Mizuki because he enjoyed his company.

This time they went to a restaurant with a very eerie atmosphere and dim lighting. It suited Inui perfectly. Mizuki wasn't dressed for it, but he felt perfectly comfortable there.

"So...are you going to tell me everything you know?" he asked. "I can get enough information by myself to function, but I want to know more."

"I respect your thirst for knowledge, but I'm not going to help you play dirty."

Mizuki sighed. "Well, I guess I'll just have to keep seeing you until you give in. I can be very charming, you know." He flashed a dazzling smile. "I can also be very persuasive."

Inui chuckled. "I believe that."

"You're not going to be able to get rid of me until I win," Mizuki said.

That meant Mizuki would be around for quite a while. Inui was just fine with that. 

They had another interesting discussion that evening, with topics ranging from the economy to things like plaid shirts and striped pants.

**When we first met, I didn't think I'd see you again, except maybe on the tennis courts.

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You're lucky that you were wrong!

And you're full of yourself.

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Of course...you know, it's hard being this talented and beautiful...

I'm sure it must be.

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You must like something about me, since you kept me around...and you still keep me around.

I find you very interesting, but you still play dirty.

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Of course I play dirty. I like playing dirty.

Yes, you do, don't you?**

"Either you're completely stubborn and evil, or else you really like me and you're trying to keep me around by not telling me anything," Mizuki said in frustration one evening.

"I wonder which it is," Inui murmured.

They were seated on a park bench, watching the sunset together. It was supposed to be a very romantic experience, but Mizuki was ruining it by whining. Not that the two of them were what anyone would consider a romantic couple, anyway. Mizuki spent most of his time trying to persuade Inui to become his partner in crime, and Inui spent most of his time refusing. It was fun.

"Are you ever going to give up?"

Mizuki was actually very cute with his arms folded across his chest and an angry glare in his eyes. His smirk was replaced by a pout.

"No."

"So we have to keep playing this game forever?"

"For as long as we care about tennis, apparently," Inui said. He turned his attention to his notebook. If Mizuki was going to complain, he wanted to look uninterested, so that he would get even more frustrated, and it would be even more fun.

"Why do I even bother?" Mizuki wondered aloud.

Inui looked up again. He grinned, suddenly -- a trademark Inui grin. "Either you really want to trade data, or you must really like me."

Mizuki blinked. "Are you trying to get me at my own game, Inui-kun?"

"Maybe. I've spent enough time around you that I know how to play," Inui replied.

"Well, we're both geniuses after all..." Mizuki started twirling his hair again, "...so of course we both know how to play."

They regarded each other with typical expressions. Mizuki smirked, and Inui grinned.

Then they both leaned forward, and shared a rather interesting kiss.

The sunset was really quite romantic, after all.

**_You still haven't told me anything, you know._

You can find things out for yourself, you don't need me. Besides, I like having you around.

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I told you I'm not the only one with a hidden agenda...

I never denied having a hidden agenda.

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I was right, you know.

About what?

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We do make a winning team.

Hm...that we do.

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You see? I'm a genius.

I guess you are.**


End file.
